A police and crime commissioner (PCC) for one of the UK's biggest forces claims protecting the public from terrorists will be "more difficult" after the vote to leave the EU.
David Jamieson, the Labour PCC for the West Midlands, said in an era of "highly-mobile, tech-savvy" criminals it was essential police and security forces co-operated across national frontiers.
He added: "It is undeniable that the decision to leave has made the task of protecting our citizens more difficult."
Mr Jamieson said the days when criminals operate in a single area or country are long gone.
"Today, criminals are highly mobile, tech-savvy and operate across borders," he said.
"Law enforcement should be equally mobile and co-operate across national boundaries to counter the threats we face.
"Terrorists often finance their attacks via organised criminal activities - international crime, therefore, requires an international response."
Mr Jamieson's concerns have been echoed by senior police who say officers must continue to work closely with their foreign counterparts.
Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, vice chairman at the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "Ahead of the EU referendum, we stated our need to work closely with European countries.
"This operational requirement must be maintained as the UK leaves the European Union."
He said the Council would work with ministers "to ensure we retain our ability to share intelligence, biometrics and other data at speed".
Police are waiting to see how the Brexit vote will affect a number of mechanisms including the European Arrest Warrant (EAW).
This a legal framework introduced to speed up the extradition of individuals between member states to face prosecution or serve a prison sentence for an existing conviction.
According to the Government, since 2004 the EAW has enabled the UK to extradite more than 7,000 people accused or convicted of a criminal offence to other EU nations.
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